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I guess I used kinda vague terms like "tiny bit", and "slightly".
You did the math and put some actual numbers on it. ( Large compared to the drag...small compared to the rope strength) So if we say the tension on the rope is smooth tow is 12% ~ 15% of the glider's weight, and the rope strength is 80% to 200% of the glider's weight, we have a pretty good safety factor there. Yet a rope that should break if things get "hairy".. Cookie At 15:24 13 November 2013, James Metcalfe wrote: Previous posters have written - "...plus a tiny bit extra due to the climb vector", and - "Since the glider is being towed uphill, the load is slightly more." Actually the load due to being pulled uphill is typically 10% of the weight of the glider (thinking of a typical climb of 6kts at 60kts airspeed). This is significantly larger than the drag component, which is in the range 2.5% to 2% for a decent performance glider (say L/D of 40 to 50), and maybe 3.5% for an old 2-seater (L/D of 28). Pedantry? ![]() |
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